Disco Color

Zayd is obsessed with disco.

He also has a mildly concerning affinity for lederhosen. But that's for later.

For Halloween, he was a "70s/Disco man" as he called himself. He just had to have an afro, Lennon glasses, and a peace sign necklace.  He really wanted a polyester suit with wide leg pants complemented with platform shoes, but we couldn't find one small enough, and unless something can be altered with duct tape, I'm useless.

During the car ride home from school yesterday he excitedly explained an art project he worked on which featured his obsession.

Zayd: Mom? You know what pop art is?

Mom: Uhm...

Zayd: You know... pop art?

Mom: I guess.

Zayd: Well in art class, we had to do pop art. I did mine on disco.

pause

Zayd: Because you know I love disco.

pause

Zayd: Anyways, so I wrote DISCO in big letters at the top of the page, but I made the D... you know... groovy.

Did he say groovy?

Mom: What did you make it?

Zayd: You know... groovy.

Right then.

Zayd: And then I made the I like a flower. Because there were lots of flowers in the 70s right?

Me: Uhhh...

Zayd: I mean, there were... (pause) I mean, everyone had (pause) lots of flowers.

Ethan: The 70s and 80s were very colorful you know.

What the...?

Ethan: Oh Zayd! You know Ghostbusters is on tonight!

Zayd: Oh! That's right! 

Ethan: Wanna watch it with me?

Zayd: Yeah.

Ethan: I love the 80s. 

Zayd: Me too.

pause

Zayd: Okay. So my pop art. Then I had to draw two more objects for my pop art thing.  I drew a.... oh shoot. I can't remember what's its called.

Me: A disco ball?

Zayd: Oh my God! How did you know?!

Me: I'm amazing. 

Zayd: You are. So I drew a disco ball with the word "70s" on it. And then I drew an afro dude.

pause

Zayd: He actually looks like a cross between you and me.

pause

Zayd: He's pretty darn cool.

At least I have cool.

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When I put them to bed that night... disco came up again.

Zayd: (big sigh). Mom? Do you think Disco will live again?

Mom: I don't know.

Zayd: I wish it would.

Mom: Why?

Zayd: Because I love it. I love everything from the 70s and 80s.

Ethan: The 80s were colorful. I like the 80s too. 

What's with the colorful thing?

Ethan: Hey mom? How old was great grandma and grandpa when dad was born?

Me: Uh.... let me see... hang on.

pause

Me: About 50.

Zayd: So when were they born?

Me: Hmm... Shesh... 

Zayd: I think great grandma was born around 1916.

Me: Okay.

Ethan: So they got old then?

Me: What do you mean?

And did I miss something or did disco just die again?

Ethan: Well... when you are a grandma and grandpa you are old. But when you are a great grandma and grandpa, then you are really old.

Me: Not really. Someone becomes a grandma when their child has a baby. And when that baby has a baby, then they become a great. Some people become grandmas and grandpas when they are younger. 

When you have a baby, I become a grandma.

pause

Ethan: Okay. Why are we talking about this? I don't want to talk about this.

Okay then.

Zayd: Mom can I get suspenders?

Me: No.

Zayd: Why not.

Me: I don't know.

Zayd: But I want them.

Me: Lederhosen and now suspenders?

Zayd: I know.

Ethan: What's lederhosen?

Which led us down a different path for about 5 minutes...

Ethan: When did things become color?

Me: What?

Ethan: When great grandma and grandpa were alive, it was black and white. So when did things get to color?

pause

Me: Oh! Things weren't in black and white then honey. People didn't live in black and white. Everything was color - just like it is for us! It's just that they didn't know how to add color to pictures and movies back then yet.

pause

Ethan: What?

Me: I mean, the technology wasn't invented yet to add color to pictures and stuff.

pause

Ethan: Okay why are we talking about this?

I have no idea. Nor do I know why they want disco to come back.

But now I do know why the 70s and 80s were so colorful.